In a remote intelligent communication system, with reference to FIG. 1, a host computer 10 communicates across a given communication medium 18 with a selected remote intelligent communications device 14.sub.1 of a plurality of remote intelligent communication devices 14.sub.0, 14.sub.1, 14.sub.2. An interrogator 12 is employed intermediate a host computer 10 and a communications medium 18 for appropriately coupling the host computer 10 to the medium 18. Host computer 10 has a library of commands 11 available for configuring and operating the interrogator 12, the remote intelligent communications device 14, and itself.
In an exemplary application, host computer 10, via appropriate programming, retrieves appropriate commands from within its library of commands 11 and sends associated command data to interrogator 12 by way of a digital interfacing link 16. Digital interfacing link 16 is an enhanced parallel port (EPP) digital interface. The command forwarded from host 10 to interrogator 12 can be a command for configuring the interrogator, or command for operating interrogator 12, or a command for configuring or operating a remote intelligent communications device 14.
Upon receiving the command, interrogator 12 configures itself appropriately in accordance with the command instructions and/or forwards appropriate data along a forward RF communications link 18 to remote intelligent communications device 14. Depending upon the type of command, the remote intelligent communications device 14 may respond with an appropriate return RF transmission 18. If such a reply is received, interrogator 12 extracts digital data from the RF reply signal and forwards the reply message to host computer 10 for further analysis.
Preferably, host computer 10 is a computer compatible with Microsoft DOS.TM. and has a processor performance equal to or greater than an 80486.TM. processor. Additionally, host computer 10 has an enhanced parallel port (EPP) for providing a digital interface 16 with interrogator 12. A library of commands for operating interrogator 12 and remote intelligent communication devices 14, are available in a software tool "Micron RFID Library (MRL)" available from Micron Communications, Inc. of Boise, Id.
Remote intelligent communications device 14 may comprise an Ambit.TM. remote intelligent communications device, available from Micron Communications Inc. of Boise, Id.
Interrogator 12 receives digital data by way of digital interfacing port 16 (e.g., EPP). Certain commands of the "Micron RFID Library" are associated with configuring interrogator 12. For example, interrogator 12 may receive a command for structuring appropriate transmit and receive antenna structures. A receive antenna structure may include two or more separate antennas selectively configurable for receiving an RF signal. Likewise, transmitting antennas are selectively configurable for enabling two or more transmission of RF signals away from interrogator 12. In this regard, diversity switches of the transmit and receiver communication paths are respectively configurable in accordance with configuration data received from a digital controller. The diversity switches configures the respective antenna structures of the receiver and transmitter communication links of interrogator 12.
Interrogator 12 additionally splits the return signal and mixes one side with the reference signal and one side with the reference signal shifted by 180.degree. to produce quadrature signals I and Q as well as including a demodulator providing differential decoding of the data wherein phases that differ represent a 0 data bit and phases that agree represent a 1 data bit.
Further details of the above-noted communication system can be found in co-pending commonly assigned application Ser. No. 08/656,530, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,266 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.